Black Hole Binaries

超级计算机硬件、创新的数值算法以及对爱因斯坦方程本质更好的数学理解，正使双黑洞模拟能够从干涉引力波探测器（如LIGO、VIRGO、GEO和LISA）收集的数据中提取天体物理信息的日子越来越近。本项目的主要工作是对最后几个轨道和双黑洞系统合并的数值计算，以及从这些模拟中提取与引力波天文学相关的信息。将明确关注数据分析社区的需求以及灵活和协作软件工程的发展。这项工作的更广泛的影响是通过创建灵活和可重用的软件工具来开发和增强协作研究的基础设施。这些工具将用于相对论的数值模拟，并将有助于丰富本科生和研究生训练的学习环境。宾夕法尼亚州立大学及其引力波物理中心和引力波物理与几何中心，为从计算物理到数值相对论、数学相对论和天体物理学，再到引力波物理的各种努力之间的协同作用提供了一个独特的机会。

Supercomputer hardware, innovative numerical algorithms and a better mathematical understanding of the nature of Einstein equations are bringing closer the day in which simulations of binary black holes could routinely help in extracting astrophysical information from data collected by interferometric gravitational wave detectors such as LIGO, VIRGO, GEO and LISA. The work in this project has as main objective the numerical computation of the last few orbits and the merger of binary black hole systems, as well as the extraction from these simulations of information relevant to gravitational wave astronomy. Explicit attention will be given to the needs of the data analysis community and to the development of flexible and collaborative software engineering.The broader impact of this work is the development and enhancement of infrastructure for collaborative research through the creation of flexible and reusable software tools. These tools will be used for numerical simulations in relativity and will contribute enriching the learning environment for undergraduate and graduate student training. The Pennsylvania State University, with its Centers for Gravitational Wave Physics and for Gravitational Physics and Geometry, offers a unique opportunity for synergy between diverse efforts ranging from computational physics through numerical relativity, mathematical relativity and astrophysics, to gravitational wave physics.